Zarganar @ guardian.uk,”Burmese people are using their new freedom to express views which incite racial hatred”

The entire situation is a litmus test for reform in our country, including for improvements in freedom of expression. When I read some of the language being used on social media, both inside and outside the country, I am concerned that the Burmese people are using their new freedom to express views which incite racial hatred.

Distributing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights used to get you a jail sentence. Fortunately that is no longer the case. The declaration says all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. So the Burmese government needs to exercise its responsibility to protect the rights of all those in Burma, whatever their religion or ethnicity.

The government must restore the rule of law and end corruption and immigration abuse, but not while trampling on human rights like before. And we Burmese must use freedom of expression to promote peace, not conflict.

Yet I have also been imprisoned simply for using the internet. It might be interesting to learn that communications were policed by people who understood little about the technology they were patrolling. I don’t think it takes a comedian to see the funny side of police confiscating my computer screen, but leaving the hard drive. Freedom of expression has been rigorously denied for a long time, but Burma is very definitely changing and, in this new world, new challenges are presenting themselves.